The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-12-17
SHEEP N WINTER,


SHEEP m WINTER.
Management Necessary to keep FIocks il
Good Condition.
The most important part of the care
of sheep is the winter feeding. The
summer feeding on pasture is free from
risks SO long as very simple precau-
tons are taken to avoid wet low land,
to provide pure water, and shade in
the hottest weather. But in the winter
every thing goes against the sheep;
the confinement is unnatural, the dry
feeding pfoFokes disease and grain
feeding is opposed to the habits of the
animals. Pure fresh air, a dry knoll,
plenty of suitable food, pure water,
are better for flock than confinement
in close, warm stable where the air
is foul and unwholesohie. Last winter
portion of the writer's flock was per-
mitted to occupy piece of open woods
with dense thicket on one side,
through which flowed pure spring
brook which was SO warm as not to
freeze In the coolest weather; the rest
were kept in large yard with an
open shed in it and were fed
on good clover hay ad libitum,
with half pint of corn daily for
each sheep. The exposed sheep were
fed only hay and tops of corn with
some small nubbins on it. They came
out in the spring in far better condition
than the others, reared their lambs bet
ter and cost less than one-third as
much to feed. Similar experience dur
ing many years with various breeds of
sheep has proved that, as compared
with confinement in close shed and
yard, an open field with the SIM
plest shelter, even no more than a
fence corner is preferable. But the
most careful shepherds will provide the
best facilities for the care of the flock,
and these comprise dry, roomy yard,
annexed to field or wood
lot with an open shed
in which the sheep may shelter in cold,
rainy weather or when they may be
disposed SO to do, and provided with
water drawn from well. The shed
and yard should be kept. well Uttered
| and the litter and manure may accumu-
late through the winter without dam
age to the sheep. The fresh straw
thrown down will be picked over and
the best of it eaten and serve for the
roughness which the sheep need.
The feeding, however, is the most
particular part of the winter manage
ment. Overlooking is productive of
various disorders arising from indi-
gestion, such as stretches" (this is
the result of costiveness,) congested
skin, which causes the wool to fall off
in patches; cough, which results in
disorder of the lungs and encourages
those troublesome parasites, which
produce quickly, destroy the flock, and
which, gaining access to the lambs
from the older sheep, produce that IA
tai disease commonly known as pin
ing" paper skin," or anemia, which
is nothing less than impoverished
blood due to the insufficient oxidation
resulting from impaired respiration.
Indigestion is not always the result Of
overlooking; irregularity of feeding
provokes it and SO does unsuita-
BILE food. And sheep require the
most regular and suitable feeding.
Clover hay is the best staple food,
but that it may be eaten up close and
without waste it should be cut early
and while the stems are tender, and
cured as quickly as possible. The fines
and shortest grass hay is the best; red
top and orchard grass mown when no
more than foot high makes excellen
feeding, and we have found that GA
straw, pea straw and corn fodder Gu
into chaff is eaten very readily and il
exceedingly healthful. Sheep love ;
mixed heritage, picking here littl'
and there little, and so mixed fod
der is most palatable to them. Thu
hours of feeding should be the sam,
every day. Three meals day are usual
but VIC have found two to be better
To divide the day and night into thre
periods of eight hours each and feet
three times would make the feeds com
at six in the morning. two In the after
noon and ten at night. As it j
t usual for the shepherd to b
around his stock the las
thing at night before retiring
these hours of feeding are by no mean
inconvenient They may be varied t
) five a. m. and one and nine p. M, an
leave eight hours intervals betwee
meals. This regularity is so needfu
when sheep are being fed for profit tina
r we believe it will pay well to make tn
change. Sheep like to feed often; the
; are up and feeding and then restin
. several times day when at pasture
, and little and often at time enable
Q them to digest more food and ASSN
: ilate it more profitably than when tn
< stomach is filled to repletion and longe
3 intervals elapse between foods whe
4 the stomach is empty and the systeI
: becomes exhausted. This principle {
a frequent light feeding has been foun
a desirable and profitable for all ANNA
1 and is one upon which the building u
1 of weak and invalid persons has bee
: always practiced by physicians an
a nurses.
Lie AeculuS VI gram W ohcOP 10
e matter for careful management Shee
: are really herbivorous, and grain feet
i ing is an artificial condition wit
d them. We have found the feeding ,
S whole grain to the flock en- masse, {
# all together, contributes to over~rapi
v eating in the greedy haste to get mo,
+ than due share, and fits of chokin
n are likely to happen. which are injur
, Gus and waste all the benefit expecte
from the grain. Hence it is better
# give what grain is to be fed ground ar
|, mixed with cut chat, slightly mois
o ened, so that it is eaten slowly ar
# masticated thoroughly. Corn
d not good food for shee
Il They need good deal of nltroge
which goes to make up the feec
e Wool contains nearly sixteen per cen
h of nitrogen. This is equivalent to OF
y pound to six and one-half pour
e fleece of pure wool This nitrogt
o must be supplied in the food or Il
# fleece will suffer, and the various d
< fects SO often found in wool are d.
II to this cause more than any other. tt